Tattoo You
by thirstythespian
Summary: Love is pain. Be patient.
1. Chapter 1

It was a Friday and with Polly out of town with her new beau, Piper decided to stay home and find something to binge-watch on Netflix. Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLOW), _hmmm…this could be interesting_ , Piper thought to herself as she poured a glass of Pinot Grigio and sat in bed to start bingeing. _10 episodes, I can be done with in the morning… urgh no I have work tomorrow,_ Piper continued in her thoughts. By the time she was done with the pilot, she was already making a list of things that she and Ruth Wilder had in common.

" **You'd love that, wouldn't you? Just me all chained up and drooling and lobotomized with my balls cut off."**

Piper was startled and it took her time to realize that she had fallen asleep. She had always been a lightweight and those 4 glasses of wine had knocked her. She shut her computer down and fell back to asleep. That night she dreamt of Sam and Cherry teaching her some wrestling moves.

The next morning Piper woke up with a massive headache. She popped 2 Aleve pills as she preferred the liquid gels to solid tablets. She got ready and arrived at her work a few minutes before her boss. " **Miss Chapman, I need an update on your MCC case pronto",** her boss Mr. Caputo said as he walked to his office. Piper shuffled through her desk shoving papers in a folder and dashed to Caputo's office. " **Who's the judge?"** her boss asked. " **Piscatella**." " **Dammit he's a schmuck... what have you done so far**?" Piper handed the folder she was holding to her boss. " **I adjusted the initial WACC to reflect the new monthly projections, and I pre-negotiated articles 23 through 29**." Piper still felt light-headed but she had to focus because this case was her key to a sit on the big boys' table. At 24, she was the youngest lawyer at Litchfield  & Associates with a 90% success rate and handled the big 5 accounts with the other 3 partners. " **… a co-pilot** " Piper realized she had been lost in her thoughts again. " **I beg your pardon sir" "Chapman focus, this case is important, we have to keep it out of the court.** **If we close this we take 1/3 of everything over this 75-million contract, making it our biggest case. Also, there's a potential client for you in boardroom 1"** Piper asked her boss why she was giving more cases when this was clearly the most important case not only for her but for the firm as well. " **You need to clock your 50 hours of pro bono before the next partners' meeting"** Caputo reminded her before calling Lorna informing her that her task the coming week was to help Piper with her case load. Not that Piper didn't need the help, she didn't agree to some of Lorna's… "methods" and sometimes she displayed symptoms of some kind of intermittent explosive disorder which she blatantly denied despite Piper's several attempts to get her help.

Piper walked into the boardroom and immediately knew it was another divorce gone bad. She had handled enough of those cases and had lost her interest in love altogether. _Why do people even get married in the first place?_ She was lost in her thoughts as usual but managed to get enough to accept the case. She bade farewell to her new client and went to look for Lorna and invite her for coffee to discuss the MCC case. " **Okay but why is the other case so important**?" Lorna asked. " **First, pro bono, second, money. The prenup limits her to 600,000 but he is worth 18 freaking million. She has little interest in a trial so we have to convince her we can do this with minimal hardship for her**." Piper told Lorna who promised to do some research on prenups in preparation for the case. Piper was tired and said her goodbyes to Lorna before going home.

When she got she had a dozen messages from her mom, Cal and Polly. She listened to them as she took one container out of her stash in the freezer and heated her dinner. Then she remembered her show from the previous night so she quickly finished her dinner, took a bottle of wine and went to watch GLOW in bed.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for all the love shown for these words, I didn't think anyone would read it.

😊 Enjoy Chapter 2.

 **Chapter 2**

" **I get your point but an oral revocation won't supersede a prenup**."

Piper answered, in response to something Lorna had said. They had been given permission to exclusively use the top floor boardroom for their two cases. The MCC case was steadily building up in the direction they wanted, it was the divorce case that they hadn't gotten a breakthrough. The whole table was filled with books and law journals. Both Piper and Lorna were irritably sifting through the pages of the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act to see if there was a way to attack the prenup contract in good faith.

" **Are you sure he revoked the prenup**?" Piper asked their client.

" **When our marriage got bumpy I asked him about the prenuptial and he said he had instructed his lawyer to revoke the prenup and that it was done**. **My friend can vouch for me** "

Piper subconsciously frowned as soon as their client said her marriage got bumpy. She had never gotten the idea of getting married, it seemed to always end in bitter divorces. She recalled what is was like when her own parents got divorced. Her mum had walked in on her dad with his hand up a paralegal's skirt and she couldn't take it anymore. She had heard rumors, however as an old-fashioned woman, she stayed with her husband for the sake of her family. That? No, that was the last straw, she had been humiliated enough. Piper and her brother Cal went to live with their grandma, Celeste for a while. Celeste always made everything better, and she always let them jump off her roof into the pool. It had been long since Piper had called her grandma and she made a mental note to call her today after work maybe they could…

" **Is she even listening to us?!"** Piper was zapped out of her thoughts by their client's raised voice. She looked up to see both Lorna and their client looking at her unamused then she realized she had been lost in her thoughts… _Dammit_ she thought again, _I have to find a way to deal with this!_

" **I'm so sorry Mrs. Bali..."** Piper tried to apologize but was cut short

" **Don't call by his name, I just said that!"** Their client snapped.

" **Her name is Sylvie",** Lorna said gawking at Piper. _How does she know that?!_ Piper squinted her eyes at Lorna.

" **Look, I gave up my career to stay home and raise the kids while he advanced up the corporate ladder. We agreed that he wouldn't hold me to a prenup if we ever got divorced. I'm not gonna let him get away with this so I don't care what you do just find a way to get him to renegotiate outside court and get me what I deserve** "

Having said that, their client, Sylvie, grabbed her bag and said a rushed bye before heading for the exit. Piper and Lorna sighed in unison because from the research they had done Mr. Balik was a well-known philanthropist who generously donated to the mayor's campaign, police fund, hospitals, schools…you name it. And the prenup was very much legal and enforceable, at least on paper. They were both sure he had hired an army of top brass lawyers and going to court was just not an option for them.

" **I have a plan,** " Lorna said, " **you might not like it but it could get Balik to settle out of court** " Piper nodded her head and gestured Lorna to continue talking.

" **My girlfriend is a private private investigator so she could get us some private private… information that we could use as…leverage. You could come to the house after work to further discuss the details** " Lorna said this in a hushed tone.

" **Oh…I didn't you had one of those** " Piper said in a surprised tone.

" **A house?"** Lorna teased, she knew Piper meant a girlfriend **. "I don't…but you would know if stopped by my office to say hi to me once in a while** "

Piper felt guilty. When she first started at the firm, Lorna was the one who took her under her wing and showed her the ropes. She never made an effort to really spend time with Lorna and get to know her outside being "Lorna la loca". She agreed to go with Lorna after work. The rest of the day was spent with their noses buried in books with Caputo popping in and out to make sure that everything was going the way he expected.

After work, Lorna led the way as Piper drove behind her. The neighborhood seemed too pricey for a paralegal and Piper wondered how Lorna could afford such a place. _Maybe the "private private" investigator paid for it,_ Piper thought. The house was obscured from the main road with a tall rock wall as if was keeping someone inside from escaping, or the preventing the outside from seeing anything behind the wall. And the house itself…it looked like a cut out from the latest edition of Architectural Digest. It was beautiful and Piper was immediately drawn to the symmetry. She loves when everything is exactly where it should be and the right balances the left and the top is in sync with the bottom. Lorna beckoned Piper to come inside and she took one last look around before walking inside. _What exactly do these people do?!_ Piper was somehow scared now.

" **Babe Piper and I are here!"** Lorna shouted. " **Come this way, she uses that side for her dru...um business**." Piper was led through a well-lit corridor, adorned with paintings from the Victorian era. A few minutes later she had voices, a door being closed and the sound of a car engine roaring to life and driving off. Then a woman, probably in her mid-thirties… _Her hair is wild_ …walked in, snaked her arms around Lorna's waist and pulled her in for a deep kiss before sliding her hands down to possessively grab her butt. Piper, embarrassed, looked away until Lorna playfully slapped the other woman to remind her that they had company.

" **So, are we having this threesome or what Blondie**?" the other woman with the husky voice and wild hair asked and started laughing. Lorna freed herself from the woman's grip and told her not to scare their guest away. She introduced the joker as Nicky, the girlfriend.

" **What? Is she not a lesbian, I'm getting some Sapphic vibes from her, or does she like the pipe as her name suggests** " Even Piper couldn't help but laugh at that one. _I bet it's never a dull moment with this one around,_ thought Piper.

" **I'm not gay** " Piper said and Nicky just rolled her eyes.

" **That's what she said** " Nicky smirked as she pointed at Lorna, who eyed at her girlfriend with that "why would you tell her that because it's so true" kind of look. Lorna quickly changed the subject and reminded her girlfriend of the reason why Piper had come. Nicky promised to get them something by the end week. Piper thanked her and had to stay for dinner when her hostesses offered...more like _insisted._ It was during this dinner that Piper learned it wasn't really their house but a friend's. Their friend was in furniture export and she was always out of the country so she asked them to housesit and save up on rent. _That explains the antique furniture in the house, Piper thought, I should get their business card and maybe ask them to look for something for me._ Piper loved old furniture, it reminded her of her Celeste and that brought her joy.

" **She was just here now but tell you what blondie, I'll see if she can bring something for you from her scout trip,** " Nicky told Piper. Turns out the person who left just as they arrived was their furniture dealer friend. Piper thanked Nicky for that then thanked them both for dinner but had to turn down the offer for drinks as it was getting late and tomorrow was a work day. Lorna walked Piper to the door and assured her that Nicky was the best at what she does and even though whatever she found would inadmissible in court, it didn't matter anyway because they'd make sure it's enough to motive Mr. Balik to settle outside of court.

Piper got home exhausted but grateful that she had dinner already and could go straight to bed. That night she dreamt she back to her grandma's house, jumping up and down her favorite leather couch that Cal later cut open with a knife to see what was inside that made it so fun. Celeste didn't mind and Piper promised to get her another one when she was older.


	3. Chapter 3

" **Lawyer or client?"**

" **What?"** Piper responded to the stranger. They were both in the elevator and seemed to be going to the same floor.

" **Well I can't tell if you are here to meet a lawyer or if you are in fact a lawyer yourself."**

Piper told the stranger with an even stranger accent that she was a lawyer who was late for her meeting that's why she was a little bit fretful. The doors opened just as the stranger was about to say something else but Piper just bolted towards the boardroom. Sylvie and Lorna were already there waiting for her. She apologized and beckoned them to carry on with the proceedings as she grabbed Lorna's notes to catch up.

"… **and my friend should be here anytime"** Just as Sylvie said that, the stranger from the elevator was ushered into the boardroom by the new intern. Lorna was about to object when their client got up to hug the stranger, the friend who was a potential witness if it came down to court. The friend, same stranger from the elevator was Stella. _Is she British?_ Piper thought. _Those legs just go up to her neck…_ Piper stopped herself as everyone settled down and listened to what _Stella_ had to say. They all listened as Stella told them about Sylvie's ex-husband and the countless times he sabotaged her whenever she wanted to further develop a business idea or get back into the corporate world in any way. She has proof of how they were going to start and lingerie business and couldn't implement it because when they were a few signatures away from final closure, he froze Sylvie's accounts and there weren't enough investors to cover the gap. Of course, they could start the factory construction but they had enough money to operate for less than a year and as a start-up, it was very difficult to get a loan or any bridge-financing with finances based on future projections. Piper was impressed by the Stella and soon her mind started wondering. _I wonder what kind of lingerie they would have made; most importantly how would Stella look in an intricately designed lacy black number…did she just wink at me?_ Piper frowned and Stella winked..again.

The rest of the meeting went by so fast and Piper was more than happy. Lorna asked her if she wasn't feeling well because she looked flustered. Of course, Piper lied and said it was the weather. Their client and her friend… _Stella_...left after setting Sylvie's next appointment. Piper was eager to hear if that was any progress from their PI and Lorna promised to tell her everything over lunch away from the office. Piper didn't want to work from the boardroom so she picked up her things and went to her office. Just as she was getting settled, the new intern walked in again and asked for her business card.

" **What's your name?"** Piper asked. Her name was Brook Soso. Piper handed her a stack of cards then immediately went back to settling.

" **So…funny story, my parents named me Brook after Brooke Shields, the actress. Um, but except without the "e," because they thought it would be a bit more original. But sometime around my 10th birthday, they started saying I was named after a brook instead. Ummm…like the bab…"** Piper cut her short.

" **Miss Soso, as much I'd like to sit around and partake in this trip down memory name to your naming ceremony I have work to do and I believe you do too. If I'm wrong by all means let me know and I will gladly give it to you. Close the door on your way out."**

Piper didn't know where that came from but the last thing she needed was small talk with Soso… _Soso I'd have been more interested to know what that means_.

Lorna walked into Piper's office 4 hours later and she looked exhausted. She told Piper that her girlfriend was waiting for them at Café Hunt so they had to go and meet her now. _Just in time, I was starving…_ Piper quickly closed her law journals and put her notes away. They talked about their respective days as they made their way to meet the PI. When they got there, Nicky was on the phone so they went to get their food first then came back to sit with her.

" **Vause has to go to Brussels and Istanbul and won't be back for another 6 months at least so we have the house all to ourselves."** Nicky said. She was obviously addressing Lorna because one she was looking directly at her and smirking and two Piper had no idea who that was. Lorna didn't seem as pleased though. Lorna told them that this Vause person was supposed to bring her the " _L'Absolu Rouge in Absolute_ " from France which was her favorite shade of red lipstick and now she had to continue using the flaky stuff. Nicky and Piper simultaneously rolled their eyes, not that that was a surprise, no everyone knew of Lorna's obsession with red lipstick, it was the way she said it, her facial expressions, as if her world has just come crushing down. Piper reminded everyone why they were meeting and Nicky told them that the guy they were after may be involved in a drug trafficking ring and it would be best for them to stay away from him and try to fight it in court. Before she could explain any further Piper's, phone rang. She instantly recognized the voice... _that accent_

" **Why didn't you wink back?"**


	4. Chapter 4

A/N

Thanks for everyone reading and following this. I did say it would be a slow build up so after 4 chapters I think we should dive right in! Enjoy 😊

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

 **[Piper] I have to cancel tonight's plans. My best friend is in town after a long time and it's been a while since we hung out. I'm sorry :(**

Immediately her phone rang, Piper looked at the caller ID and ignored it. She wasn't brave enough to call and cancel so she wasn't going to answer it really had been a while since she hung out with Polly. Pete had gone to Vegas with his friends for the Mayweather vs McGregor match and the idea of watching two grown men punching each other for money didn't entice Polly so she had decided to spend the weekend with her best friend instead. Piper had a lot to tell her best friend, she had been on 3 dates with Stella already and she wasn't sure how she felt about her. She felt it was more about the excitement about dating a girl rather than about Stella herself. She wasn't bad company, it's just that…something was missing. _Urgh…focus Piper..._ She pushed all that to the back of her mind and went back to work.

" **There's a party at our house tonight, you're coming"** Lorna said as she walked into Piper's office. She realized that Piper hadn't heard her so she banged her fist on the desk. **"Oye!"** Piper screamed. " **Jesus Chapman!** " Piper looked genuinely scared. With the deposition fast approaching, she had been buried in her work trying to finalize the details of her recent case. With Ruiz as part of the opposing counsel, she wanted…she needed to be ready for a gruesome battle. Now that she had Piper's attention, Lorna repeated her statement. She pretty much forced Piper to agree right before Nicky called to say she was waiting for her downstairs. Piper asked if she could bring a guest and the response she got was **"The more the merrier."**

 **[Piper] Got invited to this party by a friend from work, we will just show up and leave. Couldn't say no. Hope it's okay.**

[Polly] Will your "girlfriend" be there?

 **[Piper] She's not my girlfriend! And no**

[Polly] Cool. Oh, I let myself in AND you really need to start looking after yourself Pipes. There's nothing edible here! Bring some food, I don't mean TV dinner!

 **[Piper] My house, my rules. See you soon**

With that, Piper decided to pack her stuff and go home to get ready for the party then enjoy the rest of the Friday night and the weekend with her best friend. On her way, she picked up some wine and fresh fruits and vegetables. When she got home, a tipsy Polly, using her wine glass as a mic, was singing along to the music she was listening to. She turned to face Piper and stuck her tongue out. **"Wild thing you make my heart scream, you took everything, oh wild thing."** Piper remembered their college days and smiled. She put the shopping bags down and went to hug her best friend. The whole thing was nostalgic. She remembered coming from the forced dinners with her parents. Polly would always take her to the karaoke bar close to Smith where they picked Sam Kinison's Wild thing every single time.

They decided to go to Roof for dinner first because Polly's hunger had reached whining levels that Piper couldn't handle any longer. Piper told Polly everything about Stella and promised to introduce them once she figured out her feelings. When they finally arrived at the party, Piper watched as her friend was in awe of the house, the same reaction she had when she first saw it too. She showed her friend the yard. Piper had been to Lorna and Nicky's place enough times now to find her way around. She noticed extra lights though, and the bonfire behind the house. She had to literally drag inside Polly to meet the hostesses. Nicky was the first to spot them and as usual she was sarcastic to the bone. Lorna came to join and Piper introduced them to Polly who Nicky apparently thought she was part of the "entertainment". Polly was a good sport about it all and even played along. Lorna excused herself before grabbing Nicky to return to their hostess duties. It was clear that Nicky was over it but her girlfriend needed them to meet and greet everyone and see to it that everything was catered for.

" **OMG that's Jeff Bridges!"** Polly exclaimed. Noticing her friend's confused look, she tried to explain further. " **Pipes you remember Jeff, I was his dad's TA for Food Science…oh forget it, I'm going over to say hi"** Polly left Piper standing there all alone so she decided to get a drink. Piper walked towards the bar that had been set up on the patio. She asked for JD honey and coke and the bartender told her that they were out of honey at that moment but if she was willing to wait for a couple of minutes she'd get it because they were expecting more alcohol to be delivered shortly. Her phone rang… _Urgh not now..._ For the umpteenth time that day she ignored the caller. She knew how the conversation would go and she was dreading it. Maybe she'd call her back tomorrow morning.

" **Well, can I have a margarita then?"** Piper that the bartender touched the brim of an imaginary hat and nodded his head. **"That I can get for you."**

" **It's a little cold out for a margarita, don't you think?"**


	5. Chapter 5

A/N

Thanks for everyone reading and following this. It's been long since I updated this so here's Chapter 5. Enjoy 😊

Chapter 5

" **They took my moisturizer, you guys. I had to walk through the airport barefoot"** Piper immediately recognized the voice. The stranger from the bar was talking to Nicky and Lorna. She raised her head and they immediately locked eyes. **"Well if it isn't Laura Ingalls Wilder."** **"Sorry?"** Piper responded. Lorna joined the conversation, **"Little House on the Prairie?"** Piper frowned, diving deeper into her confusion while Lorna rolled her eyes. "And they tell me you went to college", the stranger said. **"Oh, I'd stay away from this one if I were you Vause",** Nicky said, **"She's in love with the pipe"** she burst out laughing **.** As usual, Nicky had to dole out her frequent dose of banter. Lorna slapped her girlfriend's hand and pulled her towards the makeshift dancefloor, leaving Piper alone with… _Vause_?

" **Do you work here?"** Piper asked. **"Are you fucking kidding me?"** Vause quickly replied. " **Well okay then, I was just to make this awkward silence disappear".** **"And how's that going for you?"** Vause half smiled. **"Terribly"** , Piper said. This time Vause laughed and suggested that since Piper was eager to end the silence she had to tell her about herself in one sentence… _pretend it's a job interview,_ Vause had said and Piper, having no choice at this point, had agreed. **"Fine, I'm Piper Chapman, a Smith grad with excellent listening skills, and passionate about justice".** **"Passionate about justice"** Vause repeated, **"I like that in a woman, what else do I need to know about you?"** Piper blushed, before telling Vause that it was her turn to say something about herself. **"Let's see, my name is Alex Vause and I work for an international drug cartel". Alex smirked as she watched closely for a reaction. "What kind of a last name is Vause? What does that even mean?** Alex was more than surprised by how Piper chose to completely ignore the last part of her introduction and focus on her surname. " **Out of everything I just told you _THAT'S_ what piqued your interest?" ** Alex inquired. **"I figured you were just saying that to get me worked up and I wasn't going to give you the satisfaction now answer my question",** the lawyer side of Piper was kicking in. Alex took a swig of her drink and went on to tell Piper that Vause, in some cases Vaux, came from the Latin word _falsus_ and from the southern form of Middle English _faus_ as well as Old French _fals_ all which meant 'false' or 'untrustworthy'. Piper was impressed. **"You know in Russia if you don't get drunk with your hosts you'll have trouble winning their trust. It's a way of breaking down barriers and getting to know the real you."** Now it was Alex's turn to be impressed by Piper, she smiled and asked her to follow her inside.

" **Probably my favorite, the 1999 La Grande Annee."** Piper quickly raised the glass but Alex stopped her. **"Woah not so fast Miss Chapman. Smell first then drink, savor the taste. Tell me what you smell."** Alex tilted her glass, brought it near her nose, closed her eyes and smelled the wine. She had been afraid to look at her before but now with her eyes closed, fully concentrating on the wine, Piper let her gaze linger. She unconsciously drew her lower lip between her teeth and didn't notice it until Alex's voice filled her brought her out of whatever rabbit hole she had been going down. **"Beautiful isn't she"** Alex opened her eyes, raised her eyebrows and adjusted her glasses. Piper turned red, disregarded what she had been told moments ago she chugged the half glass of wine in silence. Noticing her triumph, the corner of Alex's lip tugged upwards. She refilled Piper's glass and went on with her wine tutorial. **"If it's too dry for you swirl the glass to draw oxygen from the air into the wine. I smell cashew nuts, honey and tarte Tatin along with hints of underbrush and mixed fried mushrooms what about you?"**. Piper rolled her eyes and told Alex to stop showing off. Alex snickered. As the evening went on, Piper learned that Alex's love for wine led her to buy part of _Waterkloof,_ a wine estate in Cape Town South Africa and she was in the process of acquiring Bodegas Torres located on Vilafranca del Penedès. Piper told her that if she needed help on the legal side of things, she'd be glad to help, and Alex said she'd remember that.

Finally remembering that she had come with her best friend, Piper told Alex that it was time to look for Polly and head home. Alex offered not only to look for her friend but to drive them home also. She would take a cab back home, Piper couldn't disagree, the wine had found it's way to her hear while Alex seemed unaffected. It didn't take long for them to find Polly because Lorna and Nicky had found her passed out and had taken her to one of the guest rooms. Alex practically carried Polly to their car put her in the backseat. Getting the seatbelt on her proved a challenge so Piper ended up sitting with her friend. Piper's home address had been pre-programmed on the car's GPS, so Alex didn't need help with directions. They drove home in comfortable silence. When they got to Piper's apartment, Alex offered to park the car while Piper took her friend inside. Piper came back to invite Alex inside, but she refused and told her to go to bed. **"Has anyone ever told you that your eyes are the color of deep forest pools?",** Piper asked with her slightly slurred speech. **"No, not really"** Alex's mouth twitched. Piper continued, **"Come to think of it, they're that washed out green color you know, like that favorite sweater that you washed too many times because it's your favorite so you always want to wear it all the time".** This time the corners of Alex's mouth slid upwards and her eyes crinkled. She knew it was mostly the alcohol talking but still.

Alex finally convinced Piper to go inside and rest but not after she got her phone number and promised to call her when she got home to let her know she was safe. Alex knew Piper would be out as soon as her head hit the pillow, so she didn't her way home, Alex thought about Piper, she replayed some of their conversations in her head and a warmth swept through her body. It had been long since she had spent time with someone who exhibited that level of intelligence, someone who wasn't talking to her only because they needed something from her. She had noticed the stolen glances and the lip bites but she hadn't known how to respond because Nichols had said Piper is straight _. Rule number one._ She took a deep breath. When Alex got home she called Piper and as expected, her phone rang a couple of times before going to voicemail. She left a message for her, before her mind went into free fall, swirling with the beautiful chaos of a pleasant dream.


End file.
